


Hush, I'm Here

by NewObsessed



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: 7 years later, Comfort, F/M, Friendship, Nightmares, barchie, roomies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29452542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewObsessed/pseuds/NewObsessed
Summary: He stares up at the ceiling. Everytime he closes his eyes, all he sees is the battlefield and his fellow soldiers laying motionless across the grounds.Still he tries to let sleep come. After what feels like mere seconds, his eyes pop open again. Only this time, it isn’t because of his nightmare. It's because of someone else’s.Her scream slices through the silence of the house.
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Betty Cooper, Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper
Comments: 10
Kudos: 62





	Hush, I'm Here

**Author's Note:**

> No idea what this is - I was bored, wrote this in a few hours and posted without re-reading it lol!
> 
> Characters are probably OOC but eh, what the hell. Enjoy!

Betty had never felt so content. She was back home, back in Riverdale and back together with her friends. Betty smiled into her vanilla milkshake as she listened to her friends stories of new lives, new opportunities and new selves.

Sure she had her demons, and she had no doubt that everyone at that booth had had their fair shares of ups and downs over the last 7 years, but they were together and that was all that mattered.

As Veronica wrapped up a tale of yet another extravagant New York party, she noticed Toni yawning. With a hand on her bulging stomach, Toni gave her apologies.

“Sorry guys.” Toni nudged Archie beside her, and Archie got up to let her out of the booth. “This little guy says it’s way past my bedtime. I better get going.”

“Of course.” Archie nodded. “Thanks for showing me around today.”

Toni smiled as the two hugged.

“Hey Toni?” Jughead spoke up.

“Yeah?” Toni turned to him.

“Do you mind if I crash at yours?” Jughead sheepishly asked, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t exactly have a lot of options.”

“Gee, nice to know I’m so low on your list.” Toni rolled her eyes. Jughead opened his mouth to insist he didn’t mean it like that, but Toni waved it off.

“Jones, you don’t even have to ask.”

Betty laid a hand on Jughead’s arm as he stood up.

“You know my home is just as much yours.” She told him. “I figured you’d be staying there.”

“Thanks Cooper.” Jughead patted her hand before carefully removing it. “But that hasn’t been my home in a long time.”

Betty’s face fell at his words, as she silently watched Toni and Jughead leave the diner. Veronica reached out to lay a hand over Betty’s where it rested on the table top, and Archie slid into the booth next to her.

“B, I’m sure that had nothing to do with you.”

“You’re right.” Betty shook her head as if to clear it. “I’m just being stupid.”

“You’re not stupid.” Archie insisted, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “You’re the smartest person I know, Miss FBI.”

Betty smiled at her best friend. “Why thank you Mr GI Joe. You’re not so bad yourself.”

Veronica snorted, though she tried to hide it behind the sound of her taking a sip of her chocolate milkshake. Archie mock glared at his ex-girlfriend, while Betty tried to hide her smile.

“What? I didn’t say anything.” Veronica stated innocently. Betty rolled her eyes as Veronica amended. “Archiekins, I love you, but everyone knows you’re not the brightest crayon in the box.”

Pop Tate glanced up as their laughter filled the diner.

Veronica was the next to gracefully bow out, citing the need to call her husband ( _Husband!_ ) before it got too late. She was staying at the Pembrooke, just like old times.

“B, will you be at your old house?”

“Where else?” Betty finished off the last of her milkshake.

“And where are you staying Archie?” Veronica asked, as she searched through her purse.

“The El Royale.” Archie shrugged, pushing his empty glass away.

“Absolutely not!” Veronica and Betty exclaimed at the same time.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t stay there.” Veronica argued.

“Why not?” Archie frowned. “I stayed there last night, it wasn’t bad.”

“But it’s not great.” Betty slapped her hand against his, rather solid, chest.

“I agree with B. Archie, you’re coming to the Pembrooke.” Veronica stated. It was not a question.

“Ronnie, that’s not necessary.” Archie shook his head, avoiding her glare.

“Nonsense.” Veronica dismissed. “It’s better than sleeping at that dump.”

“It’s fine, really.” Archie maintained. Betty could tell he did not want to go back to the Pembrooke with Veronica, but Betty also knew that Veronica would not let this go so she piped up.

“Arch, why don’t you come stay at mine?”

“Guys, it’s not a big deal. I can stay at the gym.” He tried again.

“Archie, I won’t take no for an answer.” Veronica ordered. “You either go with Betty, or you come to the Pembrooke.”

“Fine.” Archie conceded. “I guess we’re roomies now.”

Archie stared up at the ceiling as he lay in his makeshift bed on the couch. He had tried to close his eyes to get some sleep, but every time he did all he saw was the battlefield and his fellow soldiers laying motionless across the grounds.

Archie huffed as he turned over onto his stomach, punching the pillow in an attempt to make it more comfortable, and closed his eyes. It made no difference as his eyes snapped open immediately and he stared into the darkness.

Archie once again rolled onto his back, and taking a deep breath he tried to clear his mind and let sleep come. After what felt like mere seconds, Archie’s eyes popped open. Only this time, it wasn’t because of his nightmare. It was because of someone else’s.

Her scream sliced through the silence of the house, and reverberated in the space around him. Without hesitation, Archie jumped to his feet and went running. Taking the stairs two at a time, he burst into Betty’s room.

His mouth dropped open when he saw the state she was in, thrashing around in her bed. Her hands in tight fists as she grabbed at the sheets beside her. Her mouth forming a perfect ‘O’ as she screamed loudly, like something was attacking her.

Archie took less than a second to process the scene, before lunging across to reach her.

“Betty. Betty. Betty.” Archie called, trying to make his voice louder than the sounds coming from his childhood best friend. He knelt beside her and held her shoulders tight, trying to coax her awake and away from the nightmare gripping her.

“Betty!” Archie yelled, moving one hand to her sweaty face to rub soothing circles across her pale cheeks.

Betty’s eyes snapped open and she opened her mouth ready to scream again when she saw a dark shadow looming over her.

“Hey, hey. It’s just me.” She heard the shadow speak.

“Archie?” Betty sat up confused, leaving Archie’s hands to fall to his sides. “What are you doing in here?”

“Are you serious?” Archie couldn’t have sounded less surprised. “You probably woke up half the neighbourhood.”

“What… What are you taking about?” Betty had really hoped she wouldn't have a nightmare while Archie was here.

“It’s a good thing your mum is out of town. What was that?”

“What was what?” Betty lied, now remembering her dream of the Trash Bag Killer standing over her.

“Betty.” Archie whispered, taking her hands in his. “Your nightmare.”

“Oh, that.” Betty avoided his soft gaze, looking down at their linked hands. “It’s nothing.”

“Ok…” Archie said slowly. “Try telling that to your throat, which I’m sure is very, very raw right now after those screams.”

“It was just a bad dream.” Betty’s shoulder raised in a half shrug. “It happens sometimes.”

“It sounded like more than just a bad dream.” Archie pointed out.

“I’m training to be in the FBI Arch. I don’t think you can truly understand some of the things I’ve seen.”

“Yeah, but only in books I hope.”

“I have a vivid imagination.” Betty reasoned. “And besides, like you can talk. Did you spend the last 7 years just reading about the army?”

“We’re not talking about me here, Betty.” Archie dodged. He wasn’t here to discuss his own nightmares.

The two friends sat in silence, Archie’s thumb running patterns over the back of Betty’s hands while Betty felt her heart rate returning to normal.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Archie offered quietly.

“Not really.” Betty shook her head. “Maybe another time.”

Archie nodded in defeat. He couldn’t make her talk to him if she didn’t want to. He just had to believe that she would come to him when she was ready. He went to pull his hands away from hers so he could return downstairs and go back to his lame attempts at sleeping.

But Betty held on tight.

“Stay.”

**Author's Note:**

> No longer am I getting my hopes up and believing we will get anything like this in the show itself, and I am done with thinking we will ever get moments like this between Barchie so I am satisfying myself with writing and reading fanfiction.


End file.
